Meet the Author

The FermentedlyChallenged blog has been retired since the end of October 2016. It has been a great 9 year run. Thanks to all the readers and brewery staff for all your support in the past. I'm living in the Denver metro area and working in the Cable TV industry now. Cheers and enjoy beer responsibly. Follow along on social media - @ChipperDave on Twitter and on Facebook.

Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 - I hardly knew you. The months blew by so fast it was like a blur. Must have been because there was so much great Colorado craft beer pouring that my memories are a bit foggy. Here's a look back at some of my personal highlights from this past year. Can 2013 be even better! You bet it can!

Today is New Years Eve Day. It's one last chance to celebrate (or say good riddance to) 2012. Was this year a good one for you or was it one to forget? Whichever the case may be, be sure to gather with your friends or family and ring out the old year in style. Just be sure NOT to Drink and Drive tonight. Use a designated driver or call a taxi or use public transportation. Let's keep it safe for everyone. Wishing you all a better 2013! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, December 31st, 2012.

Metro Denver

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew (Denver) - One of Denver's smallest breweries is having a New Years Eve party. Stop by and try their Belgian Strong Ale tapping and join in for the countdown at midnight. They'll be open today from 6pm to 2am.

Great Divide Brewing Co (Denver) - The taproom is staying open late tonight for a midnight toast. They'll be featuring their newest seasonal beer - Orabelle Belgian-style Tripel, brewed with spices. Doors will stay open til around 12:30am. Orabelle will hit shelves starting in January 2013.Prost Brewing (Denver) - It's New Years Eve! And it's also 2-for-1 Growler Monday. Stop in and grab your favorites. They've got plenty of them pre-filled waiting for you. Join them for their NYE party as well.

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - The brewery will close at 7pm tonight for an hour then re-open at 8pm for their New Years Eve party. Tickets are still available. For $50 you get all the beer and soft drinks you would like to drink, a DJ and dancing, and a free buffet. Plus a special beer toast at midnight. ABC will be closed tomorrow, so come get your growlers filled today!

Cannonball Creek Brewing Company (Golden) - In just a couple of weeks, Golden will see another brewery open up in town. Cannonball Creek Brewing Company is nearly ready to open its doors to the public. They posted a picture of their taproom on Facebook today. Check it out! Located at: 393 N. Washington Ave. Golden, CO. (Image courtesy Cannonball Creek Brewing Company)

Renegade Brewing Company (Denver) - It's like a Reeses in a glass. Tonight at 6:00pm Renegade is releasing their Black Gold Peanut Butter Cup Stout. This rich brew is a once in a year kinda brew that is bound to go fast. Come on in and end the year with a tasty liquid treat.

Gravity Brewing (Louisville) - The brewery taproom is open today from 4:00pm til after midnight. They plan to release two new beers today, Schwag - a session ale, and an Espresso Stout (small batch). There will be two live bands starting after 6pm - Chris Rippey and Crashopper. Come party into the new year with Gravity!

Odell Brewing Company (Ft. Collins) - Guess what's rolling off the bottling line today? It's Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout. Look for it early in the new year on store shelves near you. Betcha can't wait to try this one!

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Sad news. The Grimm Brothers New Year's Eve Party at The Garden Room has been cancelled. They apologize for the inconvenience.

Phantom Canyon Brewing (Colorado Springs) - There's a new brew tapping today at Phantom Canyon. TREMONIA - a Dortmunder Export Lager. It's their take on the Westphalian lager that originated in Germany's steel and coal district along the River Ruhr in the 19th century. Dortmunder is a working-class beer takes the hoppy elements of the aromatic Pilsner from Bohemia and combines them with malty elements of the straw-blond Munich Helles. 5.8% ABV.

Carver Brewing (Durango) - New Years Eve will get popping starting at 9pm. Live music from Waiting on Trial and a midnight countdown and toast. Just a $5 cover and your choice of either Barleywine or Champagne at midnight. Open til 1:30am.

Rackhouse Pub (Denver) - There's going to be a Left Hand Brewing Tap Takeover at the Rackhouse tonight. They'll be NO COVER, live music, 23+ taps and a Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey midnight toast. Be safe and don't drive after drinking.
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Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1300+ "Likes" in 2012!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Winter just got a whole lot better. A new music and brew festival is heading our way in February courtesy of Crazy Mountain Brewery and it looks to be a good one. Plan for an entire weekend of fun up in the Vail Valley. Here's the press release for this event.

INAUGURAL WINTERWONDERGRASS FESTIVAL COMING TO VAIL FEB 16-17 2013

CRAZY MOUNTAIN BREWERY TO HOST BLUEGRASS AND BREW EVENT

December 31st, 2012 - Edwards, Colorado – The first annual WinterWonderGrass festival is coming to the Vail Valley on February 16th and 17th, 2013. Mixing the finest ingredients of the Colorado lifestyle and delivering a batch to our global winter audience and local music enthusiasts. Lively regional, national and local bluegrass, craft beers, warm BBQ & local food will surround locals and Vail’s experience seeking guests in a Winter Wonderland. This intimate gathering will focus on sustainability, community business and support of the arts. Crazy Mountain Brewery plays host to this year's festival, offering the backdrop of the beautiful New York Mountain Range.

The festival will be hosting different local Colorado breweries for beer tastings, a main stage and acoustic side stage for the bluegrass jams, and local food vendors, brands and businesses.
The two headline acts have been announced as The Infamous StringDusters (www.infamousstringdusters.com ) and Greensky Bluegrass (http://greenskybluegrass.com/) who are both currently making waves on the bluegrass scene around the country. Additional artists include; Head for the Hills, Grant Farm (acoustic), MilkDrive, Drunken Hearts, State Bridge All Stars, Olora Brothers, Old Town Pickers, Magic (string) Beans and She Said String Band. A full list of confirmed acts will follow. The final WinterWonderGrass lineup will total over 15 bands and 7 breweries over 2 days.

Ticket prices are kicking off for limited time only sales at $62 to appreciate the year that Vail Mountain was opened in 1962. The advanced festival ticket price will include a 2-day ticket as well as beer tastings and a commemorative festival beer mug. Tickets are on sale exclusively through www.winterwondergrass.com

Looking for news, stories or reviews on a particular Brewery or Brew Pub? If there's an article written about a particular brewery on FermentedlyChallenged.com then there's a link to those articles here. Look through the listings below for the brewery or brewpub of interest and click on the link to get a listing of all the articles involving them.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

A wheat beer in winter? Why not! The last beer to review from the mixed 12-pack just happened to be one of Bristol Brewing's year-round brews - Bristol Brewing Beehive Honey Wheat. A beer brewed with local Black Forest honey.

Every time I see the label for this beer I just have to chuckle at it's simplicity. A rather retro looking image, but for a year-round flagship beer it seems to fit what this beer is trying to portray.

Bristol Beehive is one of the lowest ABV beers I've seen in a long time weighing in at just 4.06% ABV. It's built to be very low in bitterness at just 16 IBUs and highly sessionable. For you calorie counters, this beer will only set you back 131 calories.

Bristol Brewing used 2-Row, Wheat and Munich malts in this brew and bittered them with Chinook and Mount Hood hops.Appearance: Bristol Beehive poured a beautiful golden color with a slight haze. There was a nice frothy 2-finger tall white head with excellent carbonation and a clingy white lacing that stuck to the glass. There was no visible sediment in the bottle or in the glass with a full pour.

Aroma: I could pick up on a slight honey and citrus aroma upon the first whiff. There was also a hint of lemon, bread and hop spice in the nose. The brew overall had a very pleasant aroma. There wasn't much of a yeast aroma present. I could also pick up a slight butterscotch hint as well.

Taste: Bristol Beehive was a light bodied beer that seemed to be very easy drinking. The low ABV rating made this to be a perfect session-type beer. Up front there was a creaminess and a pleasant wheat taste. In the back, there was a definite bitter finish with just a very mild sweetness. The honey didn't seem to add any extra flavor as the malt and hops seemed to dominate here. As far as wheat beers go, this one didn't have as much "wheat funk" as most other brews have. This beer had been brewed over 2 months prior to sampling so some of the freshness had worn off, yet it was still very drinkable. The grains take center stage, the honey added just a bit of distinction.

Overall: I came into this tasting not expecting much from a low ABV wheat beer, particularly in winter. While Bristol's Beehive didn't get me "buzzing" with excitement, it's still a solid wheat beer that makes for some fun sessionable drinking. If offered this beer again at a party I would gladly accept it. I probably wouldn't buy this as a go-to summer brew however, as wheat beers aren't on the top of my list. Still, for what it was designed to be, I enjoyed it and had no problem finishing it.

Disclosure: I paid full retail price for this beer at my local liquor store as part of a 12-bottle multipack.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

What could be better for beer drinking than a brew that comes gift wrapped in a can? Christmas may be over, but the holiday spirit(s) linger on through New Years Day. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy some spiced holiday ales and for this review I chose to sample Upslope Brewing Company's: Upslope Christmas Ale - an ale brewed with holiday spices. This beer is part of their Limited Release series of beers.

Back in October 2012, Upslope announced that they would indeed put their new Christmas Ale in 16oz cans and release it on November 1st. I bought a can fairly early, but wanted to wait until the holidays to enjoy it. After all, who feels right drinking a Christmas beer just after Halloween when the weather was still balmy and warm?

This beer was based off of a Belgian-style Dubbel recipe, fermented with Abbey Ale yeast and blended with a mix of holiday spices. This brew weighed in at 8.2% ABV. What's nice was that there was 16oz of this brew and just the usual 12oz that they normally package with. Bonus beer!Appearance: Upslope Christmas Ale poured a dark reddish color, nearly brown, that built up a small, but frothy light tan head. The beer was nearly dark enough to block out the light, but it was evident that this beer had good clarity and adequate carbonation, even out of the can. The can design was awesome as it looked like a festively wrapped present. There was a bit of lacing around the edge of the glass, but that didn't stick and quickly slid off the sides.

Aroma: If you really want to get the full aromatic effect of this beer, let it warm up a bit. The spices and Belgian yeast will really come out as it gets warmer. While Upslope didn't reveal which spices were put into this beer, I could pick out a gentle mix of spice easily in the nose. The Belgian yeast also had a wonderful exotic aroma and reminded me of a Chimay. There were elements of dark fruit and sweet malt in the nose as well.

Taste: Ahhhh. This was a beer that didn't go overboard with the spice. It tasted like a wonderful Belgian Dubbel with dark candy and fruit accent, yet with an underlying spice that lasted throughout the sip. The brew was medium to medium-high in body. The beer drank very smoothly without a lot of bitterness. The IBUs were there (25 IBU), but didn't give out a mouthful of hoppiness. Hidden behind all that flavorful malt and spice was the fact that this beer was over 8% ABV. This beer will definitely warm you up in a flash.

Overall: I must admit, I don't usually enjoy spiced holiday beers, but Upslope Christmas Ale made one I could definitely enjoy, even after the holidays. Just enough spice to notice, but the Belgian flavor takes center stage here. It's a dark beer without the roast, but with a lot of dark fruit and malt flavor. The combo of yeast and spice made for one jolly holiday brew. I will definitely buy this beer again next time I spy one.

Disclosure: I paid full retail price for this beer at my local liquor store. I was able to buy a single can of this in a singles section.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Today is Card Playing Day. This is a day where everybody needs a break after the busy holiday. Take time today to wind down, play a friendly game with a deck of cards or with a specialty deck, and spend time with friends or family. And nothing goes better with friends and fun than a nice craft beer. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Friday, December 28th, 2012.

Planning to go out New Years Eve? Be aware - DUI checkpoints will be set up throughout the state. Open liquor containers in public may also get you a citation. Don't get caught drunk driving in your car. Use a designated driver, take public transportation or call a taxi. Most places will be happy to call a cab for you.

Metro Denver

De Steeg Brewing (Denver) - Denver is one step closer to having another brewery open. Last week, the brewery received their Federal brewer's notice and is officially allowed to brew beer now. All their ingredients have been ordered and accounts set up and they will start brewing beer very soon. Stay tuned for word on when they plan to hold their opening.

Vine Street Pub & Brewery (Denver) - Time once again for a Firkin Full Moon Friday. Today at 4:20pm they'll be tapping two different firkins at Vine Street. 1st up is their Old School Stout with vanilla added. They'll also be tapping their house Wheat Beer with Hibiscus flowers added. It's always a great time to try something new at Vine Street.Wynkoop Brewing Co (Denver) - Sometimes it takes balls for a brewer to can a new beer and Wynkoop is doing that literally. What started out as a joke on April Fool's Day earlier this year became one of the most talked about beers during the Great American Beer Festival. Wynkoop's Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, a beer that is actually brewed with bull's testicles, will soon be coming to cans in 2013. This "beefy" beer has become quite popular in the Denver area and Wynkoop decided they should offer it up in cans and produce even more of it. The cattle in these parts should be a bit more nervous in the year ahead.

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co (Golden) - Golden's next brewery has been busy brewing their first 4 batches of beer this week. Their initial brews are busy fermenting in their vessels and should be ready very soon in time for their grand opening. Look for an opening day announcement coming very soon. The brewery will be located at 393 N. Washington Avenue in Golden, CO.

Northern Colorado

Black Bottle Brewery (Ft. Collins) - While many places will require for you to dress up to the nines and charge a huge cover for attending their New Years Eve parties, Black Bottle is doing just the opposite. Get a Free Champagne Toast and late night appetizers. Dinner is on YOU however. No dress code for this party, but please keep it classy. Plenty of great craft beer on tap - theirs and over 30 guest beers.

High Hops Brewery (Windsor) - The brewery will open today at noon and stay open tonight with some live music from Joel Kachel tonight. Bedrock BBQ will also be on hand this evening to server up some tasty barbecue dishes. Happy hour runs from 3pm to 4:30pm with dollar off pints.

Crabtree Brewing (Greeley) - For the first time since they opened their brewery over 6 years ago, Crabtree Brewing is planning to stay open late for New Years Eve. While there's no big party plans, come share a couple pints with friends and toast in the New Year with Crabtree.

Odell Brewing Company (Ft. Collins) - Cases of their seasonal Red Ale started rolling off the bottling line today at the brewery. Look for Red Ale to be available in January along with the upcoming release of Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout. January is going to be awesome at Odell.

Mountains and West

Ska Brewing Co (Durango) - It may still be a month away from the annual Snowdown festival in Durango, but already Ska Brewing has their 2013 festival brew ready for tapping. Today at 5:00pm they'll be tapping their "Pocket Protector Porter 2.0", a vanilla porter brewed at 6.0% ABV. The theme of this year's Snowdown is "Get Your Geek On". Nerd and Geeks will love this year's events. www.snowdown.org.

Bars, Restaurants and Misc.

The Mayor of Old Town (Ft. Collins) - Bars across the region will be hosting a simultaneous special Avery Brewing tasting event on Wednesday, January 16th at 7:00pm MST. Come to the Mayor's for an Avery Dictator Series tasting featuring The Czar Imperial Stout, The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest, and The Maharaja Imperial IPA. You can get a flight of all three plus a pretzel for $10. Special swag available too.

Did You Know? (Brewery Facts) - According to the Brewers Association, between August 9th to November 28th, there were 10 brewery or brewpub openings that took place in Colorado and 161 nationwide. In that same time, there were just 19 breweries that closed nationwide.

Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival (Vail) - The 13th annual BBBB Festival is coming up on January 10-12, 2013 at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa. This festival is known for being one of the must-visit beer festivals in the nation. Over 200 different beers from 67 breweries from the US and international will be sampled along with seminars from top brewers and industry reps. Beer dinners have been sold out for months. If you have a ticket - hope to see you there. www.bigbeersfestival.com - @BigBeersFest.

Rackhouse Pub (Denver) - New Year's Eve is going to be special at Rackhouse for Left Hand Brewing lovers. The Rackhouse is planning a Left Hand Tap Takeover featuring 20 different Left Hand brews, 16 of which are GABF medal winners. Some of these beers are from the cellars - Widdershins Barleywine 2007, Snowbound Winter Ale 2008, Chainsaw Ale 2008. Also two brews on nitro including Wake Up Dead Imperial Stout. The night caps off with a Stranahan's Midnight Toast. Live music with no cover as well.

Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1300+ "Likes" so far in 2012!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The lull after the holidays hitting you already? For many, this week is a nice quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the last month. Why not relax today with a nice local crafted beer? There are still plenty of holiday seasonals available and soon it will be time for Spring seasonals to start arriving (yes already). Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Thursday, December 27th, 2012.

Metro Denver

American Craft Beer Radio (Denver 102.3FM) - Gary V and the crew would like to invite everyone down to Dry Dock Brewing this Saturday from 12:00pm to 2:00pm for a live radio show from the barrel room. They will be sampling some tasty Dry Dock brews and giving away a couple of large beer baskets to help you celebrate your New Years Eve.

Colorado Craft Beer Show (Denver AM 760) - Over on the AM dial, Turk and the Gubna will be broadcasting live over at Arvada Beer Company in Olde Town Arvada. They will be live from 12pm to 2pm as well and will have some great giveaways to those who are in attendance. Beer By Design Brewery (Northglenn) - 2013 will be another busy year for brewery openings and Beer By Design plans to be one of them. They kicked off their construction this week and hung up a sign outside their targeted location at 2100 E. 112th Avenue in Northglenn, CO. Follow their progress on Facebook or visit them on the web at www.beerbydesign.com. (Photo courtesy Beer By Design)

River North Brewery (Denver) - Today, they plan on tapping a keg of Barrel Series No. 4 - BPR aged in whiskey barrels. Available after 3pm. This is the last keg of it there at the taproom. The Baba & Pop's Kitchen food truck will be on hand serving up some great food as well.

Boulder County

Avery Brewing (Boulder) - Make and break your New Year's Resolutions with Avery Brewing! On Wednesday, January 9th starting at 5:00pm Earn Your Brew, Sisterhood of the Hop style! Join in for a short run starting at the brewery at 5pm and end in their Barrel-Aging Cellar with a pint on Avery! Stay all night for $1` off beers. No tickets or registration necessary. Just bring warm, reflective clothing, a headlamp if you want one, and a thirst for the new year! (If you can't make the run, you'll still get $1 off beers just for hanging out at Avery!)

Northern Colorado

The Fort Collins Brewery (Ft. Collins) - Last minute news: Tonight at the Pourhouse in Loveland, CO they are having a tap takeover. Six different FCB beers will be on tap and when you buy a pint you can take the glass home with you. The takeover lasts until 7:00pm tonight. If you can't make that, then plan to dress up in your best 20's costume and head to the brewery / Gravity 1020 for their annual New Beer's Eve party. They be hosting a 4 course meal, a swing band, dancing and a champagne toast at midnight. View the December calendar for details.

Pateros Creek Brewing Co (Ft. Collins) - Beer Special! Get $2 Old Town Ale and Snowy River tonight just in time for Geeks Who Drink Trivia. They also have a Coconut Pomegranate Porter on the Outlaw Tap. Hungry? Get your grub from the Giggling Greek who will be on hand outside.

Funkwerks (Ft. Collins) - Last week they brewed a Brett Saison that used three different types of yeast - two Saison strains and one Brett. This will be released as one of their 'experimental' beers. It will only be available in bottle in the Funkwerks taproom, and will be available on draft in select Fort Collins locations only. Stay tuned for it's official release in late January!

Odell Brewing Company (Ft. Collins) - Great news! Starting in January, Odell's taproom will be open on Sundays. And to kick it all off they're hosting the release party for their new Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout on January 6th at 11:00am.

Southern Front Range

Paradox Beer Company (Woodland Park) - Their second release (batch 13) of the Paradise Nines I.P.A Project will be hitting the shelves starting tomorrow Fri. 12/27/12! Branded the "Catcher" it's an Ameri-Belgo style RYE I.P.A. Brewed with 30% rye, aged 4 months in American oak barrels that had Syrah wine and then Whiskey, hopped with El Dorados and New Zealand Pacific Gems. It weighs in at a hefty 7.6% ABV. It's a small batch, so seek and enjoy.

Mountains and West

Copper Club Brewing Co (Fruita) - Now that their grand opening is done, they are settling into some regular hours. Mon-Wed-Thu 2pm - 8pm, Fri-Sat 2pm - 9pm. Closed Tuesday. Stop in and try their brand new Healthy Heart Oatmeal Stout. Four beers on tap plus root beer too.

Colorado Boy Brewery (Ridgway) - On Monday, stop by for a $2 pint of any brew and help Colorado Boy celebrate their 4th anniversary. They will be open on New Years Eve from 4pm to 9pm and serving everything.

Bars, Restaurants and Misc.

Cranknstein (Ft. Collins) - Attention Homebrewers! Cranknstein is planning to host their 1st annual Cranknstein Battle of the Homebrews. Enter your homebrew into their competition set to finalize on Saturday, February 16th, 2013 at 8:00pm. Any style of beer is welcome and will be split into three catagories: Light Weight (6% ABV or lower), Middle Weight (6-9% ABV) and Heavy Weight (9% ABV or higher). Register your entry no later than February 1st by coming into Cranknstein and filling out a registration form. One entry per category per brewer. 3 bottles required to enter. Judging will take place on Saturday, February 16th with the winners being announced that evening around 8pm. Happy brewing!
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Live Music - Beer and music go great together and many Colorado breweries and watering holes offer live entertainment every day. Check out the Colorado Brewery Music Listings and find who's playing at your favorite brewery or beer bar. Updated daily.

Like us on Facebook - There's even more Colorado beer happenings and discussions on the Fermentedly Challenged Facebook Page. Find recaps, special offers, and tips that you won't find on the blog. "Like" us and get even more soon after it happens. Thanks for helping us grow to over 1200+ "Likes" so far in 2012!

Colorado Beer News is published daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. Stop back here often for all the latest. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Today is Gift Card Shopping and Bad Gift Return Day. The masses will once again hit stores today trying to get what they didn't get during the holidays - a gift they actually wanted. All those gift cards will see some action, and the long lines to return gifts that didn't exactly work out. Luckily, very few people (if any) return the beer they were given for the holidays! Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Wednesday, December 26th, 2012.

Holiday Reminder: Have fun this holiday season, but please don't drink and drive after your holiday parties. Please use a designated driver or get a taxi ride home. The life and money you save may be your own.

Metro Denver

Bull & Bush Pub & Brewery (Denver) - Now that their kitchen and bar are back in action, plan to come over to their Pub to celebrate New Years Eve. They plan to have a great Ska band The Ruckus playing (no cover) starting at 9:00pm. Bull & Bush will be offering a complimentary champagne toast at midnight to ring in the new year. Try one or more of their fresh tasty brews!

Prost Brewing (Denver) - Spend New Years Eve with the folks at Prost. They'll be hosting a party featuring their core beers and a beer toast at the stroke of 12am. They'll be serving up a German buffet as well. A feast and brew all for $25 and change.New Years Eve (Denver) - Downtown Denver will be a busy place for those who are wanting to celebrate New Years. Several downtown breweries will be staying open late including: Denver Beer Company (midnight tapping of Chocolate Graham Cracker Porter), Great Divide Brewing (open til 12:30am with a midnight tapping of Orabelle Belgian-style Tripel), and River North Brewery (open til 9pm then the staff will head to Lucky Pie for a Meet-n-Greet & beer dinner).

Boulder County

Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder) - Twisted Pine wants to help keep the holiday spirit going this season. They are still helping to raise donations of food and reaching 1000 pounds of food to donate to those who are hungry this holiday season. If you bring in 3 cans of food or more to the brewery you'll receive a free pint of beer.

Northern Colorado

High Hops Brewery (Windsor) - Have you been enjoying the weekly firkins at High Hops yet? If you've been missing them then you might want to schedule one or more visits on Wednesdays in January as High Hops is planning to put out some tasty casks and firkins during the 1st month of 2013. Here's the line-up: January 2nd - Cask Double IPA, January 9th - Nut Warmer, January 16th - Whiskey Honey Red, January 23rd - Chocolate Mint Milk Stout, and on January 30th - Whiskey Stout.

Echo Brewing Co (Frederick) - Holiday week continues at Echo Brewing. This week: come listen to live music from Watersong on Friday night starting at 7:00pm. The Ablaze Food Truck will be on hand with some great food. On Saturday, from 5-9pm, grab a beer and enjoy some food from JAMs Place Food Truck parked outside. Then get ready to party on Monday night for New Years Eve. Live music from Indigent Row, food from JAMs Place and great fun to ring in your New Year. Echo will also have business hours on New Years Day from 2:30pm to 9:00pm.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland) - Do you have a musical talent and want to share it with others? Why not come over to Grimm Brothers and participate in their Open Mic Night every Wednesday at 6:00pm! Joel Kachel will be on hand to moderate these open mic events and will keep the action fun and moving along. Show off your talent and have some fun with Grimm Brothers. Performers get their first pint of beer free.

Black Bottle Brewery (Ft. Collins) - Fort Collins' newest brewery may not have been open a full month yet, but already they are expanding their brewhouse. They just took delivery of 2 new 15 barrel fermenters that will nearly double their fermentation capacity. More BBB brew should be coming your way in early 2013.

City Star Brewing (Berthoud) - It's going to be a music and fun filled week at the brewery in Berthoud. Tonight they're hosting the final trivia night of 2012 at 7:30pm. Also, stop in for live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. See the Brewery Music listings for times and talent.

Southern Front Range

Bristol Brewing Co (Colorado Springs) - Just in case you drained all of your growlers over the Christmas holiday there is good news! Bristol Brewing has plenty of beer left and is offering up $1 off all growler jug fills today (December 26th). If you plan to stay home for New Years Eve you may as well stock up on brew for your own celebration.

Trinity Brewing Co (Colorado Springs) - Back in August of this year, Trinity Brewing announced they were brewing up a barrel aged brew called "Red Swingline IPA Primitif". It went into the barrels in late summer and recently just got TTB label approval in anticipation of it's release sometime in early 2013. The brew is described as a 100 IBU Primitive IPA - brewed with coriander and tangerine zest. It was fermented with Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces and aged on French oak barrels and dry hopped. The label once again pays tribute to the movie "Office Space". Sour lovers will soon be in for a treat. Stay tuned for a release date. Look also soon for two other brews: Three Flowers Farmhouse Saison and Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangsta.

Mountains and West

Colorado Boy Brewery (Ridgway) - Many of you know that they brew beer at Colorado Boy, but did you know they also have a brewery school there too? Some of their past graduates went on to open their own breweries including Two Rascals in Montrose, CO, Wild Woods Brewery in Boulder, CO, Fate Brewery in Scottsdale, AZ, Eagle Monk in Lansing, MI, Vault Brewing in Morrisville, PA, The Granary in San Antonio, TX, Lechy Da Brewing in Elkhart, IN, and Hubrew in Jackson, MO. Colorado Boy hopes to see a brewery in every town someday. But until then, stop in and try some of their beers and see why folks come from miles around to study beer with them.

Bars, Restaurants and Misc.

Hops & Pie (Denver) - January is already starting to fill up with some great beer tastings at Hops & Pie. January 4th will have a special Friday 1st Firkin tapping of Firestone Walker's Walkers Reserve. Then on January 5th, they're hosting a Vertically Epic tasting of several Stone Brewing's Vertical Epic series of beers. Get all the details in today's news release.

Lowry Beer Garden (Denver) - Announcing new Happy Hour times! Monday through Friday from 3 to 6pm and also 10pm to 12am. $3 for all draft beers, select wines and well cocktails.
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